Parcells speaks

by Dave Halprin on May 13, 2007 12:59 PM CDT in Dallas Cowboys News

Lots of talk about the Tuna over the past day as the Wade Phillips era begins and the Bill Parcells era is swept away. The ex-coach spoke to Gary Myers and had a few choice statements.

Parcells confirmed that signing Owens last year "was not my decision. I had to do the best I could with him, which is what I tried to do."

Jerry made it clear in a press conference recently that it was both of their decisions. But Parcells isn’t backing that up. They probably were never on the exact same page, and while their disagreements weren’t at the level as the hysterical press tried to make it, I think they had a fundamental difference about the acquiring of Terrell Owens.

Parcells expressed regret only about how the Cowboys season ended - Tony Romo fumbled the snap on the potential winning field goal in the wild-card game in Seattle - not with his decision to walk away from his fourth head coaching job. "I thought if we get that game, we were going to the Super Bowl," he said.

That’s pretty optimistic, but at that stage of his career Parcells was an all-in player. He knew that this was probably his last go around. He wanted that Lombardi Trophy again, and was willing to believe Dallas was closer than it actually was.

He didn't come close and is defensive about his accomplishments with the Cowboys. "I didn't lose down there," he said. "We had a winning record. The franchise is a lot better than it was. We had three winning seasons out of four. The problem is the standard is pretty high. I don't feel like I did a bad job there."

I agree with that. This franchise is much better off for having Parcells here over those four years. The roster is stocked up with talent and the organization seems to have a confidence that was lacking in the pre-Parcells era. Not since the mid 90’s have the Cowboys been this close to truly being contenders.

Thanks, coach. But we are all about Wade Phillips now.

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Comments

That was

the problem. I blame Parcells for not putting his ego aside and attempt to get along with TO. He never did, never wanted to. That was a problem. Parcells made things worse by degrading him in the media by calling him "the player" and not by his name. It just fueled the fire for the media. Parcells had every opportunity to make the best of the situation and he didn't. That's squarely his fault. Honestly, I'm happy Parcells is gone and it's seems a lot of players are as well. His coaching philosophy just doesn't work anymore and it clearing wore thin on the players.

by Cowboys81 on May 13, 2007 1:15 PM CDT reply actions

Yeah, Parcells was the problem!!!

dont let the fact get in your way when defending the undefendable, you need to check T.O.s history prior to coming to Dallas, its a long and factual account of being a Cancer.

by Deke on May 13, 2007 1:44 PM CDT up reply actions

yep

you finally get it. He was the problem.

Also, i really didn't know that TO was here every year Parcells was. What number was he? I musta missed him...

by Longhorn @ Blogging The Boys on May 13, 2007 1:49 PM CDT up reply actions

Who cares

what he did on other teams. The fact is TO came to this team and Parcells shut him out from the beginning. That's the truth. Sure TO wasn't innocent, but Parcells didn't help with the way he treated him in the media

by Cowboys81 on May 13, 2007 9:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Damn

it feels good that BP is gone. The team is 'stocked' up now just like it would have been, say Sean Payton became coach. Still would have been picking Ware or Merriman, and probably would have signed the same FA's, if not better ones. The personnel would have been a lot better than it was, it could have only gone up when BP got here...

by Longhorn @ Blogging The Boys on May 13, 2007 1:32 PM CDT reply actions

TO was never BPs kind of player

Too loud, obnoxious, publicity loving, etc.
BUT as the same time I think BP respected TO for his playing abilities. He just hated the circus that was around TO all of the time.
BP believed that if we had beaten Seattle we had a real shot at the SB. I agree. Of the teams that were left, only NO was one I thought we would need a lot of breaks to beat. The Bears certainly did not worry me.

by burmafrd1944 on May 13, 2007 1:34 PM CDT reply actions

Could not agree

mre. Well said.

by dunkman on May 13, 2007 4:04 PM CDT up reply actions

Really- since we did so well before BP

Have to laugh at anyone claiming that it did not matter that BP came here.

by burmafrd1944 on May 13, 2007 1:35 PM CDT reply actions

And, also

No Parcells, you were not a winner in Dallas, you were a loser. Check your playoff record.

by Longhorn @ Blogging The Boys on May 13, 2007 1:36 PM CDT reply actions

check the talent level pre and post parcells

by the way, if Payton was headcoach, how do you know they would of taken Ware or Merriman, I doubt we'd be running the 3-4 defense.

There's a reason why Parcells has two Championship rings and why players wanted to come here as free agents, how many rings does that clown, T.O. have??

by Deke on May 13, 2007 1:41 PM CDT up reply actions

haha

Nice Red Herring. Not sure where i said anything about TO. Stay on subject if u know how. And, there is also a reason that Parcells hasn't won anything in nearly 2 decades. And he was a flat out loser in Dallas. Overrated over hyped coach. ever. He is nothing without a competent DC, that's for sure.

by Longhorn @ Blogging The Boys on May 13, 2007 1:48 PM CDT up reply actions

3 winning seasons out of four

what was the record before he got here. The talent level and the whole organization is far better off because of him, He's only proven his ability everywhere he went, Giants,Patriots,Jets and Dallas, I guess you cant answer the other question.

by Deke on May 13, 2007 1:55 PM CDT up reply actions

TO has none.

So? Are you saying Dan Marino sucks? Chan Gailey > Bill Parcells. How has be proven anything when he hasn't won a super bowl in nearly 2 decades? Hasn't won with any other team other than the Giants?

by Longhorn @ Blogging The Boys on May 13, 2007 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions

Also

what does TO not having any rings have to do with anything?

by Longhorn @ Blogging The Boys on May 13, 2007 2:01 PM CDT up reply actions

makes no sense

parcells is bad because he never won a superbowl

marino's not bad because he never won a superbowl

parcells is bad because he hasn't won a playoff game in 20 years (not exactly)

wade is presumably good even though he's never won a playoff game

what?

by ab03 @ Blogging The Boys on May 13, 2007 2:02 PM CDT up reply actions

.

I am one who was sorry to see Parcells go. He did a great job of improving the franchise, and I personally like his style and will look forward to seeing him as a commentator.

But now we have Phillips and I'm 100% behind him. And it's certainly exciting to look forward to his aggressive defensive style.

by llutherr on May 13, 2007 1:39 PM CDT reply actions

Yepper

I think Bill ws simply what he said he was... tired. He didn't know how to give less than his all.

by dunkman on May 13, 2007 4:06 PM CDT up reply actions

Parcells as a GM

and developing the skills of individual players, were two really good qualities he had as a coach. But when it comes to coordinating the offense and defense he would scheme way too conservatively, and was almost scared to take any risks.

Burt-D

by Burt D @ Blogging The Boys on May 13, 2007 2:00 PM CDT reply actions

i'd agree with this

but he would never concede that much power, and he would most certainly clash with his coach.

by ab03 @ Blogging The Boys on May 13, 2007 2:03 PM CDT up reply actions

they were aggressive at times

but when you lose you only other pressure player in Ellis, Bradie James and Roy WIlliams were liabilties in coverage and a rookie free safety on the field, what happened when the defense was aggressive, it was burned time and time again.

On offense, you're not going to open things up with a Qb with very limited game experience.

by Deke on May 13, 2007 2:09 PM CDT up reply actions

Just about every time

they got aggressive, it resulted in no pressure. You are right. Th tem lacked the players once Elis went down.

by dunkman on May 13, 2007 4:07 PM CDT up reply actions

I knew that post would rile people up.

I was ready for Parcells to go--I think that he did wear the players down and some of our gameplanning was inexplicable (although I absolutely hate the way certain underachievers have publicly blamed Parcells for their bad play...thats bad form & just plain weak).

However, I have to admit I'm somewhat less interested in the team this year as I was this time last year. Parcells added an awesome aura of toughness & intelligence (even if the players weren't so tough or smart). This offseason, for me, has been much more boring without Parcells. I prefer the 'cones of silence' around the coaches and will miss the careful parsing of his pressers. And who will be the one to warn people to put away their "anointing oil"? ...He was a funny s.o.b.

Also, strange as it sounds, I think we could have at least beaten the Bears last season in the playoffs, had we escaped Seattle.

by jsdoty on May 13, 2007 2:05 PM CDT reply actions

I agree

and Parcells really thought they were beatable.

On the other hand, the Colts would not have been as easy. They were on a definite roll.

by dunkman on May 13, 2007 4:08 PM CDT up reply actions

Don't get me wrong

Parcells improved the talent level of this team greatly, but he could not get them to the next level. His playoff record speaks clearly, horrible!

His coaching style wears thin as it did here. Take it for what's it's worth but Parcells didn't handle the TO situation well. I expected better from a HOF coach.

by Cowboys81 on May 13, 2007 9:23 PM CDT up reply actions

85 rec, 1180 yrds, 13 TDs

I agree with your first paragraph and the first sentence of the second, but TO's on-field performance suggests that Parcells did just fine by him. Remember that most people doubted TO would finish the year without being cut, suspended, or alienating his QB. So I'd say getting those numbers out of TO qualifies as a good job.

Fans overrate the whole "media distraction" business. It mostly distracts us.

by jsdoty on May 13, 2007 10:33 PM CDT up reply actions

If we had gotten to the SB

The pattern has been that the team that won the regular season game when the two SB teams did play each other also won the SB.

by burmafrd1944 on May 13, 2007 5:23 PM CDT reply actions

BP did a good job while he was here

Expectations of a SB victory are why he was signed, but thats a tall order considering the Campo years.

I think a big factor in personnel upgrade also had to do with our cap situation. We finally managed to get out of cap hell, and that helped a lot.

The Eldorado situation was handled pretty well by BP, IMO. Just tolerate and ignore the guy who destroyed 2 previous franchises. If he could catch better and the media wouldn't have swarmed around him like flies around BS, all would have been fine. But I'm sure he grated on BP's nerves. So this latest interview doesn't surprise me at all.

by APerfectStar on May 13, 2007 10:22 PM CDT reply actions

Count me as appreciative

of Coach Parcells and all he brought to the Cowboys. I refuse to concede to the uninformed the right to judge his coaching. He took a team with 15 wins in three years before he came to 34 wins in four years with two trips to the playoffs. The same voice which says Coach Parcells cannot win without a defensive Coordinator must concede that Coach Parcells inherited Coach Zimmer and that Coach Zimmer had the top rated defense in the NFL in 2003, the 1st year under Coach Parcells (up from 16th the year before).

Under Coach Parcells, Larry Lacewell was retired and Jeff Ireland was elevated; Jeff going on to do a great job as head of scouting. A rookie coach would not have had the clout to effect this change - and we would still be drafting the likes of Jacob Rogers and Peterman in the 2nd and 3rd rounds every year. I remind you that Sean Payton was fired and out of work before Coach Parcells brought him to Dallas. He learned here from a Master Coach and went on to demonstrate that learning this past year.

Finally I will say that in 2006 Coach Parcells had 8 games where his defense held the opponents under 21 points (we won all of them). Coach Parcells' offense last year was 4th in the league in scoring behind Chicago,Indianapolis and San Diego. Lacking a pass rush at the end of the year these facts get lost in the discussion. Many forget injuries that have cost a team their championship bid during the year. Think Mike Brown in Chicago. Think Greg Ellis in Dallas. The depth of our team now is thanks to Coach Parcells and Jeff Ireland (and Jerry Jones). Can we survive a season-ending injury to a player? Maybe to anyone except Terence Newman. Even there we have players who just might surprise us. But we look stronger at OLB this year even without Ellis.

And yes, I am hopeful of Coach Phillips and his teaching and game management which can build on the foundation Coach Parcells laid and take us to the next step. It wouldn't be the first time that a new coach inherited a championship team in Dallas.

by lee3022 on May 13, 2007 10:59 PM CDT reply actions

Parcells did a great job

of acquiring talent and developing it, ie Romo, but his strategies and schemes were too old to succeeed in today's league.

He definitely improved the team and put it in a position to make a SB run for years to come, for that, I salute him, job well done.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on May 14, 2007 7:49 AM CDT reply actions

Too OLD??

His protoge in NE seems to be doing pretty well with it. The "other" Bill is more flexible in getting players to play at other positions when injuries or lack of depth on offense are a problem but the offense and defensive philosophies are 100 percent OLD SCHOOL. Belechick added his own wrinkles in the 3-4 scheme they use but it's mostly the same where personnel didn't have any effect.

Love BP or hate him, it was OLD SCHOOL that brought the Cowboys back to being a respectable team. Compare the Cowboys Pre-BP to any other team in the NFC-E and they were a joke under all previous coaches since Switzer inherited Jimmy's Cowboys. Bill might have not have been flexible enough and it directly lost some games for us but there's no way he was over-rated.

by Doomsday on May 14, 2007 2:47 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree Doomsday

This offense was not too old with 425 points and the defense was not too old - just short a pass rusher. The flexibility is available now because these guys learned on the job from Coach Parcells and his staff. When you have no experienced depth you cannot be too flexible.

The defense was really good for most of the year. People forget that Coach Parcells shut down Indianapolis without Greg Ellis! Only in the New Orleans game did the defense collapse. Somehow I suspect the previous 2 games were done with smoke and mirrors.

This was not a failure of the coaching last year. It was a system that worked. It was a transition point where we were a couple of players short of being there and we still gave Seattle all they could want.

by lee3022 on May 17, 2007 5:09 PM CDT up reply actions